Bolt could return on London track

London: Sprint king Usain Bolt’s road to appear again at the Olympic stadium this year has been cleared after the government finally agreed to a tax exemption for overseas superstars. It had been reported that the multiple Olympic gold-winning star would not race in Britain outside London 2012 because of tax rules, which would leave him out of pocket.

However, chancellor George Osborne made it clear there would be a one off exemption for the Jamaican superstar and other overseas athletes to compete tax-free at this summers London Grand Prix. The event on July 27 has been switched from Crystal Palace to mark the first anniversary of the London Olympics where Bolt won three gold medals, and his presence would ensure an 80,000 sell-out just weeks before the defence if his 200 metres world title in Moscow. Bolt’s agent Ricky Simms said it’s about two weeks before the world championships, which is quite late, but it’s London and the Olympic Stadium again so it obviously has an attraction.

Major championships such as the Olympics are exempt from Britain’s stiff tax rules and a similar one-off exemption was granted to the likes of Lionel Messi and his Barcelona teammates under the previous government when Wembley hosted the 2011 Champions League final. Bolt last competed at the London Grand Prix in 2009 and has since opted to race at the likes of Monaco, Rome and Oslo on the Diamond League circuit where he commands huge appearance fees. The Jamaican’s appearance will depend on whether organisers are willing to pay over 100,000 pounds for his services.